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Will there be 911 service for some rural residents of Evangeline Parish come April 11?
A dispute between the Sheriff’s Office, Police Jury, the Evangeline Parish Communication Board and rural mayors could lead to no service being provided for area residents, when the EPC is supposed to transition into its new location at Industrial Park on April 11, 2016.
The heart of the issue between the local governing entities appears to be financial.
A letter from Evangeline Parish District Attorney Trent Brignac dated February 3, 2016 was sent to the Evangeline Parish Communications’ board members, Evangeline Parish Sheriff Eddie Soileau, Evangeline Parish Police Jurors, as well as the mayors, the police chiefs, and fire district board chairmen from the areas that are being affected by this situation.
In Brignac’s letter, he explained the problem at hand and gave his suggestion as to how this matter should be handled.
The D.A. stated in his letter, “Under the current system, all 911 dispatchers share the same physical working space and receive their salaries from the Sheriff’s Department, which salaries are subsidized by 911 through an intergovernmental agreement between 911 and the sheriff.”
After speaking with 911 Administrator Liz Hill, Sheriff Soileau, and Secretary/Treasurer of the EPPJ Donald Bergeron, Brignac outlined his findings concerning this matter.
In his letter, the D.A. stated that “according to 911 Administrator Liz Hill, she is of the understanding that the Sheriff’s Department will continue to dispatch 911 calls,” while “according to Sheriff Eddie Soileau, his office will no longer continue to dispatch 911 calls” for the police departments in Pine Prairie, Turkey Creek, and Chataignier, and possibly for Ward #4 and Ward #5 Fire Districts.
If this issue is not resolved, the dispatch service would no longer be available for certain areas in Evangeline Parish once 911 transitions, or moves, into their new office located at The Industrial Park.
In Brignac’s letter, he writes, “This result seems unacceptable and will possibly lead to civil as well as potential criminal liability on the parties ultimately deemed responsible for this lapse and/or failure to provide 911 dispatching services.”
To keep from having certain areas lose dispatch services, the D.A. suggested “that there be no final “transition” until the above referenced problem has been addressed and solved.”
Brignac closed out his letter by urging the parties involved to put their “collective thoughts together” to reach a resolution.
That letter from Briganc prompted representatives from the Police Jury, 911 Office, District Attorney’s Office, Fire Districts and Pine Prairie Mayor Terry Savant to hold a meeting on Feb. 10 inside the Police Jury Meeting Room at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse.
In a release provided to The Gazette from the Police Jury on Wednesday it states that “President Ryan Ardoin believes that one of the problems related is providing funds for a dispatcher for Pine Prairie, Chataignier and Turkey Creek.
The release later goes on to state that, “Soileau then answered that it was his understanding that it’s the 911 Boards responsibility to provide the funding. Soileau stated that his current budget is $2.6 million and a year and half ago it was $3.3 million, a total loss of $7,000,000 and he is projecting to lose more funds.
The statement further reads, “Mayor Terry Savant then asked as to whether the new 911 center will have the ability to provide dispatch services. Ms. Liz Hill, 911 Administrator stated that it will. Ms. Hill stated the 911 office contract with the Sheriff’s Office for their dispatchers dates back to 1995. The Sheriff’s Office agreed that their dispatchers would answer the calls for 911 and would assist these calls the same as before 911 came along.”
The District Attorney then asked about Ward 4 and Ward 5 Fire Districts.
An unidentified person then states, “as of today, is there a plan in place if someone located in those two first districts call 911 after April 11th that they will get a response. Ms. Hill stated there is currently not a plan in place.”
Police Juror Bryan Vidrine goes on to state in that same release, “that according to the bylaws of Evangeline Parish it states that the Evangeline Parish Police Jury shall have final authority on approval of the operating and capital improvements budget for each fiscal year for the Evangeline Parish Communications District. Bylaws also state that the Board of Commissions of the Evangeline Parish Communications District is to provide the Evangeline Parish Police Jury recommendations related to the funding and its management of the enhanced 911 services.”
Police Jury Secretary-Treasurer Donald Bergeron told the Gazette on Wednesday that “since the meeting I have had a phone conversation with 911 Board President Kent Fontenot. He assured me that he is 100 percent in favor of 911 dispatch not moving to their new location until all dispatch issues have been resolved.
Turkey Creek Mayor Heather Cloud said, “911 has been providing services to Pine Prairie, Turkey Creek, and Chataignier for nearly 20 years but now they do not want to pay the sheriff’s office for dispatching for these communities because they are moving out of the sheriff’s office into their new building.
Cloud added, “They want the communities to pay for this service, which 911 has been providing. 911 just spent $2 million on new facilities, and I am upset because we didn’t ask for them to build a $2 million building but we are going to lose our dispatch services because of that. We do not get many 911 calls. I would say in our area we average about one a week, so it doesn’t make sense for us to spend $100,000 on dispatching equipment.”
The involved parties were getting together to meet late Wednesday night to discuss the issue and hopefully come to terms to resolve the matter.
Savant for one was hopeful of a resolution.
“I believe this problem will be taken care of at the 911 Board’s meeting tonight,” Savant said. I think they are going to ask for us to pay a service fee for them to continue providing us with dispatch services.”